HOW IDLE RESOURCES OF THIS WOMAN TURNED BLESSING and HOW IT BECAME A WAY FOR HER TO PAY THEIR DEBT.
Elisha and the Jar of Oil
4 Now the wife of the son of one of the men who tell what will happen in the future cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead. You know that your servant honored the Lord with fear. But the man to whom he owed money has come to take my two children to make them serve him.”
2 Elisha said to her, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
And she said, “Your woman servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”
3 Then he said, “Go around and get jars from all your neighbors. Get empty jars, many of them.
4 Then go in and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour the oil into all these jars, and set aside each one that is full.”
5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They took the jars to her, and she poured.
6 When the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another jar.” And he said to her, “There is not one jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
7 She came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go and sell the oil and pay what you owe. You and your sons can live on the rest.” – 2 KINGS 4: 1-7
STORY
There was a widow in great debt and about to lose her children to be a servant of her husband’s creditor. She asked help from Elisha. And Elisha asked her what does she have in her house.
The woman answered that she has nothing left except a jar of oil. So Elisha asked her to asked her neighbors to give her empty jars, and after collecting jars, she began to fill it with oil, until no jar was left and the oil stopped flowing. And she started selling the oil.
“….And he said, “Go and sell the oil and pay what you owe. You and your sons can live on the rest.” 2 Kings 4:7
What an Amazing Story of God’s way of providing right?
LESSONS FROM THE STORY
- God is the Ultimate Source (miraculous way of non-stop oil flowing)
Our job, our businesses are just His channels but He is the real Source, and He can provide beyond our own abilities
- God can use your idle resources to meet your needs (jar of oil in the woman’s house)
We can see that in this story, the answer to the widow’s problem is right at her own house. We need to be mindful of the things that we still have in facing crisis.
- Don’t be afraid to ask help (the woman asked Elisha’s advice, and asked empty jars from her neighbors)
The widow asked Elisha’s advice and she humbly asked help from her neighbors and God prepared her neighbors heart and generously helped her.
- God will only provide what we can handle (the oil stopped flowing when no empty jar was left)
Maybe there are times, we questioned why other people have less than we have or why others have more than we have? But the answer is, God only gives us what He knows we can handle.
Are you in the season of debt right now? What idle resources do you think you have right now? it may not be in material form. It can be your skills or your talents that God has uniquely given you.
Can you think of someone whom you can asked for advice right now?
I hope this story inspire you, there’s always a way out, don’t give up, lift your situation to God.
Inspiring post, Gracie! I am always thankful for the skills that God blessed me with. If not for these skills, I wouldn’t be able to pay off our bills AND stay at home at the same time. He is THE BEST provider ever!
Thanks for droppin’ by Mom On Duty. I agree with you sis, my husband and I are also thankful on our God-given skills, we both work from home right now.
And indeed, God is a faithful provider, we do not have a fix income monthly but His Grace is sufficient talaga.